Twenty years ago Olympians Jack Simes III and Dave Chauner created the programs that made the Lehigh Valley Velodrome one of the premier bicycling racetracks in the country. Now they are peddling the nation's first permanent, indoor velodrome as part of a multi-sports arena at Allentown's Lehigh Landing riverfront park, and city officials are listening.

Allentown is set on building a sports arena at the landing, and area economic development experts and sports fans say one is sorely needed.

Such an arena could boost U.S. cyclists higher in international rankings by providing a year-round training site. It would also help the Parkettes attract national gymnastics competitions and sate a growing desire for a minor league hockey franchise in the Lehigh Valley.

Kurt Zwikl, president of the Allentown Economic Development Corp., said he is trying to arrange a meeting between Simes, Chauner and their partner Pete Hammond, and Richard Neumann, a partner in a Cincinnati hockey team, to see if both groups can work together to build and operate an arena.

Neumann and his partners, owners of the Cincinnati Cyclones in the International Hockey League, have pitched an IHL or American Hockey League franchise for Allentown.

"Yes, we are serious about this. Will we build a state-of-the-art facility? That remains to be seen," Zwikl said. "I would say there will be some sort of recreational sports facility there. Our goal is to look at a bigger facility.

"We would be looking for the types of events that would otherwise bypass the Lehigh Valley."

Costs for the arena could reach $40 million to $60 million, depending on the size, number of seats and amenities. No market studies have been done to document the financial feasibility of an arena. That is up to the developers, say Zwikl and regional economic development officials. But they also say informal studies show a strong interest for an arena somewhere in the Lehigh Valley.

Simes, Chauner and Hammond, a Connecticut developer, are partners in Veloplex Entertainment Inc. They are also looking at Hartford, Boston and Somerville, N.J., as possible sites for a national cycling center that would include an indoor velodrome.

They consider Allentown the leading site because the riverfront property will be cleared before sites in any of the other cities, and also because the Trexlertown track has nurtured a strong cycling fan base in the Valley.

"It's in the talking stages right now, but we are high-energy, high-drivers and we have a personal interest in this," Simes said. "We know there have been others looking to do an arena, but we are not going to move any faster than we are -- and we are moving."

Simes, of New Tripoli, is a three-time Olympic track cyclist who helped inspire a cycling renaissance since the late 1960s. He partnered with Chauner in 1975 when they were hired by velodrome creator Robert Rodale to develop a racing and training program at Trexlertown.

They left in 1979 to form Omni-Sports Inc. and eventually founded the Core-

States USPRO National Championship road race in Philadelphia in 1985. That race, now sponsored by First Union Bank, has since become the world's richest one-day bike race, and Chauner recently agreed to return as race promoter four years after the partners turned their U.S. Professional Racing Organization over to USA Cycling.

Hammond joined Chauner after reading about his efforts to build an indoor track in Hartford. "The NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) syndrome got to me," the commercial developer said. "I wanted to work on a project that people wanted in their neighborhood."

They are now working to raise money for a feasibility study, Simes said. The group has also examined other potential sites around Lehigh County in case the Lehigh Landing plans fall through.

"Obviously, the financing has to be put in place. We have to investigate different avenues to do that," Simes said. "I think the study of where we are going to put the thing is one of the first things to do."

A drawback to the landing property is its lack of access from major highways, he said.

Zwikl and Allentown Mayor William L. Heydt say the American Parkway would provide the most direct route to the riverfront neighborhood, and Zwikl said city traffic planners will be asked to look at improving traffic flow around Front and Linden streets.

The long-awaited eastern portion of the American Parkway will be built as part of Lucent Technologies Inc.'s plan for a $165-million office-research complex in Hanover Township, Lehigh County. Zwikl and Heydt agree that a bridge over the Lehigh River is critical to the success of a Lehigh Landing sports arena.

The landing will also include the America on Wheels transportation museum, Delaware and Lehigh Canal National Heritage Corridor Visitors Center, and arboretum, river walk and other recreational activities. Demolition of the old A&B Meats plant is finished. The next step is to renovate the former Calo Pet Foods building into the museum.